2019 has been a tough year for the anti-vaxer, as their myopic view of the world has come home to roost. We have the most significant number of reported cases of measles worldwide since 2006.

The experience here in Auckland compounded by the tragedy that is rolling through Samoa should be evidence enough that vaccination programs are both safe and necessary.

Yet, we are still getting the keyboard warrior social trolls out en-masse defending their indefensible position. Frankly, they need to be driven back into their deep dark, cold, damp caves they came from and torched with napalm. Possibly while waving pitchforks and sharp objects on poles in their direction.

Yes, you've heard it before, you should have medical insurance and income protection. Well here's a story of exactly why you need to consider insurance cover.

Your life may depend on it.

We have a client who has had ongoing issues with immunity for some time. They have the cover and have been able to access treatment in a reasonably timely way.

Strokes, also known as cerebrovascular accidents, are one of the most sudden and unpredictable conditions we as humans can suffer from. Most of the time and with no warning, we can go from fully active and living life normally, to being bed-ridden and incontinent, or in some cases, dead.

Medical researchers and scientists have been working on identifying tools, techniques and medication which can reduce the effect strokes have on the human body. One of their findings is using the supplement melatonin. While relatively new, giving melatonin for stroke recovery is showing positive signs, and we’re going to look into these findings in depth today. We will also explain what a stroke is, plus treatment and rehabilitation too.

It's all well and good to say we're being fleeced at the pumps. When the government is taking 97c of every $2.20 litre of fuel, you have to ask, who's fleecing who?

The fuel companies aren't wearing any of the taxes, and nor should they. However, when the raw cost is 84c, and the margin from the importer to the consumer is 34c, there's not a lot in it to run the distribution and delivery network for the fuel companies. Frankly, they do it on very high volumes and not margin. (as reported and not checked by the NZ Herald, not sure where the other 5c went?)

Do you actually need travel insurance? Or is your free cover provided by your credit card enough? Surely if something went wrong, the local or NZ government would sort things out for you?

Travel insurance is one of those things some people see as an unnecessary evil when it comes to planning a holiday. We like to think of it as an essential part of any holiday package, just like your tickets, food or accommodation. Yes, it is an additional expense, and yes, you may not need it. But like all insurance policies, it’s there to give you peace of mind and help you financially if things hit the fan.

One of the biggest misconceptions in the New Zealand financial services market is the perception that advice is free. It isn't. Someone somewhere pays for it.

We have seen the investment market move away from commission and high percentage-based fees on investment product to advice fees. Also, to a degree, the mortgage broking industry has where the provider doesn't pay them a commission.

Interesting comments from Consumer, quite contrary to the experience we have seen.

Consumers are more likely to find their policy doesn't work as expected when they have arranged their cover directly with the insurer because the majority of consumers don't know what they don't know.

When you apply for insurance, we as your underwriter will perform a risk management assessment on you. This looks at three key factors: what your world and health look like, and the financial aspects that make up your picture. A risk management assessment is done to help us identify the most appropriate type of insurance cover for you.

I think it's crucial that we better understand vaccines and especially the flu vaccine.

Myth number 1. The flu vaccine prevents you from getting the Flu.

No, it doesn't. It prevents you from developing a full-blown case of the Flu, and its complications. You may not realise you have had an infection at all because the immunity created by the vaccine has been effective in activating your immune system to deal with it.

Do you buy on emotion or do you consider the relevant details before buying?

The majority of people buy their insurance based on emotion and then struggle to get what they need at claim time when the harsh reality of the facts gets applied.

We've all heard about Lime Scooters and the media beat up about them, I call it a beat up as all of the stories have lacked any contrast, and they have focused on beating up the innovation and change from the status quo.

All businesses pay ACC levies. All employees have ACC levies deducted from their wages. All contractors and those who are self-employed also pay ACC levies. But what exactly are these levies, and can I pay less? Let’s take a look…

What Are ACC Levies?

ACC levies are collected by the Accident Compensation Corporation or ACC. They are a crown entity which is responsible for administering New Zealand’s no-fault accidental-injury scheme. This means that ACC will pay the cost of medical treatment for an accidental injury, including help at home or work and income assistance. It also places a huge focus on injury prevention, funding campaigns to educate and inform individuals and workplaces about risks and how to reduce them.

While many workers in the construction industry work in the industry to avoid paperwork, the paperwar is now moving deeper into the industry than we have seen here before.

What many people don’t appreciate is the close working relationship WorkSafe has with ACC. ACC provides regular data updates to WorkSafe on work-related injuries, and WorkSafe uses this to target their visits.

With the increase in worker injuries and deaths in the construction industry since the new H&S Law came in, the MP and WorkSafe have a renewed focus on H&S compliance in the construction industry.

While the official communications externally to date have been relatively benign, the direct conversations with WorkSafe and the H&S consulting community have been significantly blunter.

The terror unleashed in Christchurch has given New Zealand, and the world, pause to consider the world around us. And one of the things that was hotly discussed was Jacinda's decision to wear Hijab.

Given her position of authority, she could have ignored the cultural aspects and shown up as she would usually have, even in the mosque. She is our prime minister after all.

However, Jacinda chose to wear Hijab and demonstrate a deep respect for the pain of the people involved, without adding to the distress on either side (male or female), as religious views and customs in these situations tend to be heightened and more likely to create tension.

We have long been a nation of 'can do', mostly because of our isolation and distance from anywhere else.

This has been a double-edged sword, in its restriction to access the world and isolating us from the rest of the world. All that changed last Friday, when the worst of the rest of the world came crashing in on Christchurch.

This one has been rolling around in my head for some time. And with the more recent World Health Organisation statement that vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 global health risks, it's worth saying most of the rhetoric on vaccines are both overblown and entirely out of whack with the reality of the research.

What we do know is medicine in all of its wisdom isn't always right, and science is never 100% certain. And people outside these professions and disciplines don't always appreciate and understand this.